BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF REASON

Rated R (for language and some sexual content). 108 minutes. Directed by Beeban Kidron. Based on the novel by Helen Fielding. 

Poor Bridget. She just can’t seem to get anything right. In this sequel to 2001’s “Bridget Jones’ Diary,” the loveable Brit (Renee Zellweger) is still involved with the hunky Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and working as an on-air personality for a TV show. But she embarrasses him at every turn – like when she single-handedly causes his table to lose the annual quiz at the Law Society Dinner. She starts to doubt her ability as a suitable girlfriend for this near-perfect guy.

So she turns to the advice of three friends – Shazzer (Sally Phillips), Tom (James Callis) and Jude (Shirley Henderson) whose wisdom leaves something to be desired. When she and Mark have a fight, Bridget flies off to Thailand on assignment only to find – who else? – former boyfriend Daniel (Hugh Grant).

In the first movie, Bridget was an adorable, neurotic charmer who ate, smoked, and drank to excess, dated all the wrong men, and sabotaged her own ambitions – you know, like a lot of us out here in the real world. This installment, however, finds her clingy, obsessive, and downright irritating at times.

Still, it’s hard not to love Renee Zellweger. She’s awfully cute, for one thing. And she seems to be channeling Lucille Ball in a series of comic mishaps: skydiving butt-first into a pig-pen; tumbling from Mark’s skylight; and screwing up her make-up royally en route to a staid party, to name a few.

THE LOW-DOWN: Not as funny as the first movie, but still lots of great laughs. And it’s hard not to enjoy watching the trio of Zellweger, Grant and Firth as they once again de-code the mystery of love.

SCORE: 3 out of 4 Reels

Jane's Reel Rating System:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels – Pleasant. Something to talk about.

Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

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